DAVID Templeton today thanked his ex-Hearts team-mates for helping him settle into life at Rangers in the aftermath of his controversial Ibrox transfer.

And the Light Blues winger believes the understanding he developed with Ian Black, Kevin Kyle and Lee Wallace at Tynecastle can help their new club scoop silverware in the season ahead.

Templeton was criticised for agreeing to move from a Clydesdale Bank Premier League club to one in the Irn-Bru Third Division on the final day of the transfer window last month.

Many pundits and football fans felt the 23-year-old, who has been tipped to play for Scotland in the past, showed a lack of ambition by agreeing to drop down to the bottom tier of senior football.

Hearts even issued an astonishing official statement accusing the young forward of having a bad attitude and being motivated solely by money.

The flak the Glasgow-born player was subjected to failed to take into account that his monthly wage was delayed on three occasions last season – and that the capital club accepted the bid for him.

Despite netting a goal for Hearts in a 1-1 draw away to Liverpool in a Europa League play-off match, it was a hugely traumatic spell for Templeton.

And he revealed he has been pleased to have familiar faces like Black, Kyle and Wallace at Rangers in the last fortnight.

"It will definitely be a help to me at Rangers having guys alongside me that I have played with at Hearts," he said. "It already has been.

"The first day of training at a new club can be hard. Having the former Hearts boys there made it a lot easier for me to come in and get to know everybody.

"They have been showing me around, keeping me on track, explaining to me where I have to go and what I have to do. It has definitely helped me. I feel I have settled in a lot quicker as a result of them being there."

Templeton has been working hard at Murray Park with Ally McCoist's squad during the international break and is desperate to be involved against Annan Athletic at Galabank on Saturday.

The chances are high that, if fit, he will be one of the first names down on the manager's team sheet for a game Rangers, who have struggled away from home this season, are determined to win.

Even though he had only taken part in one training session with his new club, he was immense on his debut in the 5-1 win over Elgin earlier this month and netted two goals.

He feels playing on the same team as Black and Wallace was a huge assistance to him and is looking forward to playing with both men, and striker Kyle, in the weeks and months to come.

He reflected: "Having so many Hearts players involved with the squad and the team does, in some respects, give me a head start here when it comes to playing.

"I am used, for example, to playing on the left side in front of Lee Wallace. I felt in the first game against Elgin that I linked up quite well with him. I am looking forward to doing that again.

"I also know what Blacky's game is all about. Whenever he has got the ball, he will always look to find me with it whether it is a diagonal ball or a ball played inside.

"I think you could see the understanding we have in the game against Elgin. He set me up for the first goal I scored for Rangers in the first half. I expect that will happen quite a lot this season."

Templeton continued: "I set Kevin up for a few goals in our time together at Hearts. I also won the big man a few penalties as well. Hopefully I will be able to get him a few more this season now we are both at Rangers."

David Cooper Templeton – his father is a diehard Rangers fan and a huge admirer of the legendary winger – was given a rousing welcome on his Ibrox debut and was cheered off when he was replaced late on.

He is hoping to repay Gers fans for their backing of him by giving them more to cheer about in the remainder of the 2012/13 campaign – starting against Annan this weekend.

"I have no regrets about moving at all," he stated. "The reception I got when I made my debut and the standing ovation I received as I came off against Elgin were fantastic for me.

"I thought the fans were unbelievable against Elgin. Even though we are in the Third Division, they turn out in huge numbers. Even when we went a goal down they were still singing songs and urging us on.

"It helped us a lot as a team and helped me a lot knowing they were still on my side.

"It just shows the support the fans at Rangers give you if you do well. Hopefully, I can get that every week if I do well."